Your business card is one of the most important tools of your profession, yet it is surprising how little thought can go into their design. This is especially true if you work for a large organization that takes care of designing and printing cards for you. All you have to do is sit for a studio picture, and it's done. Even so, there is still quite a bit you can do to make your card more attractive, effective and productive as a business tool.

Real estate trainer and writer Robert Fore, recommends that you get a professional, personal portrait, and that you pay attention to the direction you are facing.

"Take a look at your photo and notice if you are facing forward or profiling towards the left or right," says Fore. "Notice how you are posed and then make sure you are turned in, looking towards the printed information you are presenting. If you aren't, get your photo redone."

"Always look towards your printed material and you can ensure your reader's eyes will also be drawn into your text... not away from it," advises Fore.

Show the photographer who will be taking your picture what your company business cards will look like. In most cases, the photo will go in the upper right corner, because most people will accept a card being offered to them with their left hands. You should then face left toward your printed material.

Suzanne Forbes Dicker, known as the Hat Lady, makes sure she is always wearing one of her signature hats in her business card photographs. If someone doesn't remember her, she reasons, they will at least remember the chapeau.

For those with less flair for the flamboyant, it will be easier to remember a few basics about personal photography.

Watch for Photo (Ph)aux Pas

The lovely thing about a photo is that it never ages. Unfortunately, in real life, you do. Realtors, who are already known to be an aging population, may be unnecessarily sensitive to how they look in person. Many keep reprinting their business cards with photographs of themselves from as long as a decade or more ago in an effort to appear younger, more vigorous and competitive.

When you hand a contact a card with an outdated photo of yourself, you'll be remembered all right, but not in a flattering way. You'll appear silly and vain, and worse, stuck in the past - exactly the opposite image you are trying to portray.

A better plan is to update your cards every couple of years or so with a new photograph that more accurately reflects the professional you are today. Have your photograph redone any time you undergo a dramatic change in your appearance, and yes, that includes weight gain and weight loss.

Have your photograph professionally done, and not by the group photographer hired by your broker. You'll be pushed through in a hurry and your photo will look worse than your driver's license. Do you want to promote yourself looking like a deer caught in the headlights?

A talented photographer, on the other hand, can do wonders with the correct lighting, and putting you in a flattering pose. The real masters have an instinct for capturing you with just the right expression - one that conveys style, intelligence, success. Some photographers have stylists and make-up artists on call who can make the most of your features, and help you present yourself at your professional best.

Do's and Don'ts

Don't go to a glamour photographer for a professional photograph. You may look like a "pro," but it won't be a pro Realtor. One Realtor, profiled in an earlier story survived a terrible ordeal in which she was kidnapped, transported across state lines and attacked repeatedly. She felt that one of the reasons she was picked by her attacker was her "glamour shot" photo.

Do not wear an article of clothing that matches your logo. Contrast it, so that you will stand apart from the logo. If red, white, and navy are the colors of your company, wear yellow, gold or kelly green.

Wear a colorful suit or scarf, that will flatter you and work well with your company colors. Keep the colors in the same family of intensity - clear and bright, or soft and subdued.

Ditto for men. Don't wear matching ties or suits. If your logo is gold, don't wear khaki. You'll blend right into the logo. Choose a power color like navy or grey instead. If the logo is green, navy is a nice contrast, complemented by a red tie.

Do tell the photographer how you plan to use the photo. If he/she knows it is for a business card, it may considerably alter his/her choice in camera equipment, lighting, detail, background, film speed to name just a few.

Do arrange to have the photographer shoot you for other marketing materials. Tell him/her what your plans are. Do you need a larger photo for feature sheets? Be sure to buy several sizes for your newspaper advertising. Call the paper you work with and ask them what sizes you will need for various types of ads. A block ad with all the company producers (including you) may require a different resolution (print size) than an editorial feature. You will need to have scannable photos on hand for both uses. Many papers, incredibly, still do not accept digitized photos or photos sent via e-mail. You can always have the photos digitized for use on the Internet as well.

Special Note: Agent safety advocate Joan Malone advises against putting your home phone number on your business card. Instead, invest in a cell phone and put that number instead. The more numbers a contact can reach you, safely, the better. Be sure to include your e-mail address, your FAX number, your office number, and your voice mail number.